Belle Wong: writer, reader, creativity junkie

Tag Archives: i-want

I wasn’t sure I’d have very many titles for this week’s Title Finds post, but then I came across a few more yesterday (when I should have been working on my deadline – I know, I know).

So here’s this week’s batch of titles that caught my eye. Strange, quirky or downright weird titles don’t necessarily make me reach for my i-want list, but they definitely do stick in my mind for a while.

Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss, by Kyra Davis. I spotted this one at Malle Vallik’s Blog, and when I hopped over to Amazon to check it out, it turns out Kyra Davis has a knack for quirky titles. I haven’t read this series before, but mystery writer Sophie Katz is a “younger, hipper Angela Lansbury” – I’m almost tempted to add this series to my TBR pile.

Living a Charmed Life: Your Guide to Finding Magic in Every Moment of Every Day, by Victoria Moran. This isn’t a quirky or strange title – but it definitely charmed me when I spotted it at Bookopolis, so I just had to include it in this week’s list. It’s the kind of book that I would most certainly pick up if I chanced on it while out shopping. Who wouldn’t love to live a charmed life? And I’m rather enamored with the magic of every day life to begin with. Lovely title, and a possible addition to my i-want list.

If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay, by Lara Zibners. You might have seen this one lately; there’s a giveaway at Bookfoolery and Babble if you’re interested. I have a rather frenzied memory of calling the Motherisk hotline one weekend morning back when my daughter was little, when I discovered her with a half-empty vial of a perfume sample in her hand and a suspiciously fragrant mouth. It turned out, luckily, to be nothing to be worried about, but I can definitely see the need for a book like If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still be Okay. Not to mention, it’s got a snazzy title.

Come On Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All, by Christina Thompson. I came across this quite intriguing title at A Reader’s Respite; the book, it turns out, isn’t quite as quirky as the title indicates. It’s a memoir of a marriage that cuts “across cultural, racial, and geographical boundaries”, and I might actually add this one to my i-want list one day.

Food Writing:The Language of Baklava, by Diana Abu-Jaber, which I discovered while browsing through Beth Fish’s Weekly Discoveries (this is a wonderful feature at Beth’s blog – she posts her discoveries every Sunday). I’ll likely be getting a copy of this to review at Muse in the Kitchen, the food blog my husband and I have (he cooks, I eat – life’s pretty wonderful, isn’t it?).

General Fiction:The End of East, by Jen Sookfong Lee. Joanne from Book Zombie mentions this book in her review of Fruit, and I knew I wanted to read this one too. It’s a generational story about a Chinese family in Vancouver, and since I am a Chinese daughter of immigrants who settled in Vancouver, I knew it was a book that I couldn’t resist adding to my TBR pile.

Urban Fantasy: Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead. I didn’t make a note of where I came across the Vampire Academy series, but it sounds like a whole load of fun – and I’m hoping Bookmooch will come through for me with this one (I find my library isn’t quite as up-to-date as I would like when it comes to urban fantasies).

So these are my finds for the week – make sure to check out what other book bloggers discovered this week at Friday Finds. It’s a great resource when you’re looking to add to your TBR pile. Now that I’ve signed up with Bookmooch – my username is msbookish and I’ve added a short list of books so far and two have been “mooched” already (both going to Germany! so I’ll be weighing the pros and cons of international shipping …) – I’ll probably add whichever titles on my i-want list that my library doesn’t have to my Bookmooch wish list.

This is the first edition of Waiting on Wednesday here at MsBookish.com – each Waiting on Wednesday, I will be discussing a book that is to be released that I can’t wait to get my hands on. This week’s Waiting on Wednesday book is The Language of Bees, by Laurie R. King, the latest book in the Mary Russell series, which will be released on April 28, 2009.

If you’re not familiar with the Mary Russell series, and you like Sherlock Holmes and/or a good, well-written and complex mystery, you’re in for a real treat. The first book in the series is the excellent The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.

As for The Language of Bees, here’s the full scoop, according to Random House:

In a case that will push their relationship to the breaking point, Mary Russell must help reverse the greatest failure of her legendary husband’s storied past—a painful and personal defeat that still has the power to sting…this time fatally.

For Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, returning to the Sussex coast after seven months abroad was especially sweet. There was even a mystery to solve—the unexplained disappearance of an entire colony of bees from one of Holmes’s beloved hives.

But the anticipated sweetness of their homecoming is quickly tempered by a galling memory from her husband’s past. Mary had met Damian Adler only once before, when the promising surrealist painter had been charged with—and exonerated from—murder. Now the talented and troubled young man was enlisting their help again, this time in a desperate search for his missing wife and child.

When it comes to communal behavior, Russell has often observed that there are many kinds of madness. And before this case yields its shattering solution, she’ll come into dangerous contact with a fair number of them. From suicides at Stonehenge to a bizarre religious cult, from the demimonde of the Café Royal at the heart of Bohemian London to the dark secrets of a young woman’s past on the streets of Shanghai, Russell will find herself on the trail of a killer more dangerous than any she’s ever faced—a killer Sherlock Holmes himself may be protecting for reasons near and dear to his heart.

A lot of great fun comes about because of book blogging: I was fortunate enough to learn of the pending release of The Language of Bees when I signed up for the Baker Street Challenge, and immediately scooted over to my local library’s website, where I discovered that they had the book “On Order”. I promptly placed a request, and to my delight, I am first in the queue!

It’s finally happened. I always have my nose in a book, but for some reason, friends and family tend to buy me book store gift certificates and book-related accessories – and never books.

Not that I minded either the gift certificates, or the book-related accessories. For example, one year I got this great portable book light from Lee Valley (well, not quite the same one, but very similar). I love it because it’s one of the few mini book lights I’ve seen that isn’t battery operated – a real blessing because unless I used rechargeables and recharged regularly, I felt like I was always replacing the batteries.

But this year, things are a little bit different. It might be because of this blog – now not only am I reading like normal, I’m always saying things like, “Oh, I’ve got to go write up this review for my book blog.”

Could it be, everyone is actually starting to take my reading more seriously? Hah!

This morning, my older son asked me to put together a books wish list. He and his sister are going to head over to our local Chapters store to buy my presents.

And I’m going to have a great evening, looking through my i-want list, and browsing through my feedreader, looking for all the books that I want that aren’t available at the library.

I’m not even going to say, “my goodness, the week has just flown by – it’s Friday Finds already!” because I suspect I might be saying that every Friday. (But it has flown by, don’t you think? Especially with the holidays looming ahead of us. And Ms. Bookish hasn’t bought a single gift yet …)

It’s a short list for me this Friday because I’ve been busy tackling deadlines so haven’t had the chance to surf around the book blog world as much as I would have liked. I am always so grateful to all the book bloggers out there, who make sure that my TBR pile stays filled with succulent, juicy and tempting reads (can you tell I’m looking forward to turkey dinner this holiday? Especially since I won’t be cooking it!).

This week, it’s essays and short stories that have been catching my eye:

When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power — vodka. You would too if you found out that your boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo or if you had to pretend to be honeymooning with your father in order to upgrade to first class. Welcome to Chelsea’s world — a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense.

In this hilarious, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she’s convincing her third-grade class that she has been tapped to play Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her…only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

And then there’s Just After Sunset, by Stephen King, which I found via Bookzombie. Joanne’s not thrilled with the collection, but she gives a wonderful mini-review of each of the stories and I spotted a few with premises that sound good. So I thought it was worth requesting this from the library. Not to mention it’s been a while since I’ve read a Stephen King short story. Here’s the synopsis:

Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-a-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogether too well. Or an exercise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivating-and then terrifying-journey. Set on a remote key in Florida, “The Gingerbread Girl” is a riveting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerable-and resourceful-as Audrey Hepburn’s character in Wait Until Dark. In “Ayana,” a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any moment. In one of the longer stories here, “N.,” which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psychiatric patient’s irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countryside . . . or keep the world from falling victim to it.

I found Happy Trails, by Julie Hecht in the same Meg Cabot blog post I mentioned above, and it sounds like a story collection I will really like. I particularly enjoy a deadpan style of humour, and this collection sounds like it has oodles of that:

In this new collection of stories, Julie Hecht reclaims the darkly funny, existential territory for which she is known: “People say ‘Good morning,’ but don’t believe them. It’s just something to say.” The uniquely eccentric narrator reappears in Happy Trails to You and recounts her perplexed engagements with our society and the larger world — whether she’s attempting to withdraw money from a bank machine, worrying about Paul McCartney, or seeking a nonexistent place of calm on Nantucket, where nail guns and chain saws have replaced the sounds of birds singing.

Appalled by life in our times, the narrator recounts innumerable artifacts from a now vanished America (civility, idealism, Elvis Presley, well-made appliances). She is also exquisitely attuned to the absurdities of our culture; her acute observations illuminate every subject, from the dangers of microwave ovens to the disappearing ozone layer. With deadpan wit, the author reveals the truths of a new century. Happy Trails to You is a radically distinctive work of American fiction.

So these are my finds for this week! What wonderful books did you add to your i-want list?

Everyone knows Dr. Watson is Sherlock Holmes’ right-hand man—so when he goes missing, it’s a shock. Even Sherlock hasn’t, well, the slightest clue as to where he could be. Enola is intrigued, but weary; she’s still hiding from her older brothers—and getting involved could be disastrous.

But when a bizarre bouquet shows up at the Watson residence, full of convolvulus, hawthorn, and white poppies, Enola must act. She dons her most discerning disguise yet to find the sender—and quickly, for Enola knows the blossoms symbolize death!

Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo—and only Theo—who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum. Sneaking behind her father’s back, Theo uses old, nearly forgotten Egyptian magic to remove the curses and protect her father and the rest of the museum employees from the ancient, sinister forces that lurk in the museum’s dark hallways.

Islanders like names that say exactly what a thing (or a person) is or does. Nothing less.

Islanders like things (and people) to do what their names say they will. Nothing more.

In fact, everything on Island is named for its purpose, even the people who inhabit it. But Medford Runyuin is different. A foundling, he has a meaningless last name that is just one of many reminders that he’s an outsider. And, to make matters worse, Medford’s been keeping a big secret, one that could get him banished from Island forever.

When the smelliest, strangest, unruliest creature Island has ever seen comes barreling right into his rigid world, Medford can’t help but start to question the rules he’s been trying to follow his entire life.

A whimsical fantasy debut about belonging, the dangers of forgetting history, and the Usefulness of art, The Unnameables is one of the funniest stories of friendship you’ll ever read, with a cast of characters you’ll never forget.

Christmas with Anne, by L.M. Montgomery, found via Reading to Know. I’m very thrilled to find a collection of LM Montgomery stories that I haven’t read yet (two, actually – I haven’t read Across the Miles yet, either.) Here’s the synopsis for Christmas with Anne:

Share Anne’s delight at receiving the dress of her dreams, the joy of a young woman reunited with her long lost brother on Christmas Eve, and the surprise of a trio of sisters who inadvertently end a family feud by arriving at the wrong uncle’s house for Christmas dinner.

Featuring some well-loved characters from the Anne of Green Gables books, as well as plenty of new characters, this collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery celebrates the joys and tribulations of Christmas and the hope of the new year.

Synopsis from Amazon: “Filled with watercolors of beautiful local landscapes, seasonal activities, and small, overlooked pleasures of easy living, each chapter chronicles, month by month, the beautifully mundane perks of remaining at home—from curious notices in the local paper to the variations of autumnal clouds. At once gorgeously rendered and wholly original, this delightful and masterfully observed year of staying put shows us how the details of travel and the details of our lives remain with us—how they can nurture and sustain us, and how the past and the present become, in the end, intertwined.”

Ms. Bookish thoughts: Doesn’t it sound like an absolutely delightful read? It’s a lovely idea for a memoir, and the idea that home can be just as fulfilling as travel is a beautiful one.

Synopsis from Amazon: “Bayport High’s Varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. They have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkeys and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.”

Ms. Bookish’s thoughts: High school cheerleaders who are really CIA operatives – what a fun premise! I also like the fact that the protagonist is a teenage hacker who particularly want to be a cheerleader.

Synopsis from Amazon: “As a young girl in a working-class neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, Geraldine Brooks longed to discover the places where history happens and culture comes from, so she enlisted pen pals who offered her a window on adolescence in the Middle East, Europe, and America. Twenty years later Brooks, an award-winning foreign correspondent, embarked on a human treasure hunt to find her pen friends. She found men and women whose lives had been shaped by war and hatred, by fame and notoriety, and by the ravages of mental illness. Intimate, moving, and often humorous, Foreign Correspondence speaks to the unquiet heart of every girl who has ever yearned to become a woman of the world. ”

Ms. Bookish’s thoughts: When I was a teenager, I signed up for a foreign pen pal program, and I found myself corresponding with pen pals from Japan, Finland, France, the UK and Australia. I still have all their letters in a binder, and every time I look through them, I remember how much I learned about other cultures through them. I think Foreign Correspondence will be a very intriguing read.

Synopsis from Amazon: “She’s Cat Royal – four foot four, with long red hair, green eyes and not a penny she can call her own. But she does know a secret – where a treasure is hidden in the theater that is her home. The problem is, she isn’t the only one looking for it. One adventure leads into the next, taking Cat – and readers — through the colorful streets of late 18th Century London. The exciting mystery – filled with fascinating characters, lots of incident, theatrical spectacles, and even a bit of political intrigue – will thrill readers.”

Ms. Bookish’s thoughts: I don’t often read historical fiction, but I love the theatre and I love kidlit books that are about children’s adventures. Cat Royal sounds like such a fun character. The book also won the Smarties Book Prize in 2006 (2007 was the last year the prize was given out); with the Smarties Book Prize (which was awarded to the first three Harry Potter books), an adult panel chose the shortlist but children voted for the winners.

My list this week includes several fantasy books – making it a fantastical week! Almost all the items in the list have come from blog hopping – lots of fabulous book blogs out there, reading some really wonderful books that are very definitely new-to-me.

Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books by Francesca Lia Block. Another great looking title – I love the story idea, and you get all the Weetzie Bat books in this one omnibus, except for the one about Weetzie as an adult, which sounded like a great bargain to me.

Because of this week’s Tuesday Thingers, I ended up adding the following books, courtesy of LibraryThing’s popular books list. I’m hoping to have a few of these arriving here soon, too:

Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. This futuristic alternate universe novel sounds like it might be very captivating. I decided to keep it on my want-to-read list even after finding out it’s 960 pages!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This didn’t jump out at me initially, but then I visited other Tuesday Thingers posts and changed my mind (see? It doesn’t take much to influence me, really: something like “This book is good” works well.)

I discovered the following book on another of my blog hopping rounds, but forgot to star the review that I had read, unfortunately, so I can’t point you in her/his direction, but whoever you are, thank you! It was a great review and I added the book to my want-to-read list right away as a result!

The Darcys and the Bingleys, by Marsha Altman. I actually don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books – I first read it when I was 13, and have been re-reading it every year or so ever since. The humorous spin that Altman puts on this “sequel” sounds appealing to me.

Finally, on a “quick trip to the library to pick up some holds” I of course did some wandering around (my personal dictionary has a different definition for “quick” when it comes to library visits). I picked up the following discoveries:

The Christmas Visitor, by Anne Perry. I haven’t read any of Perry’s detective fiction; as mentioned above, I don’t read very much historical fiction, and even though her series is a detective series, it just hasn’t called to me (yet). But this might be the start of it all, right?

The Yoga Teacher, by Alexandra Gray. I have not read anything about this book – I see that there aren’t any reviews up at Amazon yet, either. But I like yoga (when I remember to make the time for a class, that is), and the premise was interesting: a pharmaceutical rep decides to become a yoga teacher and goes from England to California back to England again.

And okay, honestly, the thing that caught my eye the most in the blurb? This: “With an eye for the absurdity and humor in every encounter, Alexandra Gray gently skewers our society’s preference for a quick-fix nirvana, in this chronicle of one woman’s quest for love and meaning in a world numbed by materialism and psychotropic drugs”. I’ll have to see if the book lives up to the blurb.

How to Be Single, by Liz Tuccillo. I actually did read a review of this on a blog a couple of weeks ago, and my apologies again, I didn’t make a note of the link. I still was unsure whether I wanted to read the book, but one thing stuck in my mind from this review. The reviewer said it reminded her of Sex in the City meets Eat Pray Love. So when I saw this at the library, I decided, why not.

So that completes my round-up for today’s Friday’s Finds. And I’m going to try very hard to remember to star the reviews which prompted me to add a book to my want-to-read list.

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I'm a writer, avid reader, artist-at-heart & book indexer. I blog about writing, books, art, creativity, spirituality, & the power of the imagination. Oh, and I like to write stuff about life in general, too!

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." - Stephen King

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The purpose of being a serious writer is not to express oneself, and it is not to make something beautiful, though one might do those things anyway. Those things are beside the point. The purpose of being a serious writer is to keep people from despair. If you keep that in mind always, the wish to make something beautiful or smart looks slight and vain in comparison. If people read your work and, as a result, choose life, then you are doing your job.

“I didn’t write my books for posterity (not that posterity would have cared): I wrote them for myself. Which doesn’t mean I didn’t hunger for readers and fame. I never could have endured so much hard, solitary labor without the prospect of an audience. But this graveyard of dead books doesn’t unnerve me. It reminds me that I had a deeper motive, one that only the approach of old age and death has unlocked. I wrote to answer questions I had — the motive of all art, whatever its ostensible subject. There were things I urgently needed to know. ” James Atlas

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